Construction industry professionals told Utah lawmakers that requiring small employers to verify the legal immigration status of potential employees would harm the state’s efforts to build thousands more homes.
HB214, authored by Rep. Neil Walter, R-St. George, looked to require thousands more private companies to use E-Verify to confirm the eligibility of potential new hires, ensuring that only legal U.S. citizens can work.
Under Utah law, private companies with at least 150 employees must use the web-based system to confirm potential employees’ eligibility. The system checks a form applicants fill out against federal records.
Initially, the new bill would have lowered the number of employees exempting companies from the requirement to five. That number changed twice – first to 15 by a substitute and then to 50 by amendment – along with updates to push out the effective date to July 2026.
But a committee voted to hold the bill following testimony focused on potential harms – namely, labor shortages, especially in construction, agriculture and hospitality – and a lack of enforcement.
Mike Sowby, a board member with the Associated Builders and Contractors of Utah, said the bill would “cut the legs out from underneath” construction businesses that form the backbone of Utah’s economy.
Read the full report at sltrib.com.
This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aims to inform readers across the state.